Experimental- Prologue
by mmcnmb1
Summary: It was supposed to be a simple mission for Moon, in and out. Just capture or kill two beasts causing trouble on the outskirts of Mewni. A distraction from the halls of the royal castle that still haunt her. Until it turns into something worse than she imagined and better than she had hoped for. Alternate universe fic.


**My first Svtfoe fanfic. I have been waiting for this! Sadly though, I don't have the time on my hands right now to write out the full story, but I have the prologue done. The full work will come in June, once summer vacation starts. Enjoy!**

 **Warning: Blood and injuries mentioned, don't read if your not comfortable with that.**

 **Edit: The first chapter to this is out now!**

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Moon trotted her warnicorn through the dark forest, enshrouded in the night mists. The warnicorn was not making it easy though. Moon got off of her trusted steed after the third time it reared its head, neighing in fright.

"What is it girl, what's wrong?" Moon put a soothing hand on the warnicorn's head, murmuring comforts to it. The steed's eyes stayed wide and twitchy though, its nostrils flaring out as its breath came out in panicked huffs.

Moon watched where its gaze fell, trusting its senses more than her own out here. They were on one of the border forests of Mewni, the monster's realm just beyond. Usually Moon wouldn't bother with these kinds of missions, delegating them to the army. But lately, she had been taking more and more missions to distract from the hollowness that lurked in every corner of the royal castle. That, and the fact that even the royal guards had failed the task numerous times.

The small villages around here had begun spreading rumors of two beasts, smart enough to steal from whoever they choose, avoiding any traps set for them and driving back all who attacked with brutal strength. There hadn't been any casualties as of yet, but at the rate the mewmans were going at there would be soon. The lower classes despised the two beasts, telling their children exaggerated stories about their atrocities, going out on group hunts for them; that was how the issue first reached Moon's ears, the legends had rippled through the kingdom, a wildfire of whispered fears and worries.

Beasts weren't supposed to have intelligence, that's what separated them from the monsters of Mewni. Beast were wild animals, like the warnicorns. Monsters had a more human resemblance, standing on two legs and even speaking the same language. The two beasts were always described as having four legs though, looking more like the frost wolves that inhabited the north than anything else. The issue with that, frost wolves could only survive in the north, and were easily caught if one applied the right type of trap.

A piercing howl rang through the forest, sending an involuntary shiver down her spine. Unknown feelings bubbled under her chest, too convoluted to pinpoint exactly, but Moon was now regretting the choice to go on this mission alone. No matter how clumsy River was, his presence would have been nice against the turmoil surrounding and within her. He always knew how to pull through one way or the other.

Her warnicorn reared, tossing its head and kicking out its front legs. Moon pulled it back down, whispering soothing words that fell upon deaf ears. The warnicorn would simply not calm down, despite its years of conditioning and experience.

A growl seeped from the nearby shrubbery, the final straw for the anxious warnicorn. Tearing itself from Moon's grasp, it fled away, galloping full speed.

Sighing, Moon pulled out her twin swords from their sheaths, their edges glinting in the moonlight. Lowering herself for balance, Moon scanned the surrounding tree's. The source of the growl had to be near still, she could feel it in the air. She shifted her feet, making sure she was never completely still, her swords held at the ready.

The creature did not disappoint. It leapt at her from behind, snarling. She whirled, her swords moving as one as they sliced across the beast's cheek. At least, they would have if the so called creature hadn't burst into smoke the second her swords touched it.

The only warning Moon had was the crunch of leaves behind her, then the creature was upon her, tackling her to the ground. It snapped, pulling off her helmet in a quick motion. Her arms were pinned, the beast's nose only inches above her face.

She really was out of shape. A year ago, she wouldn't have been caught dead by such a simple tactic, and yet here she was.

The beast, didn't move, tilting its head as if it was considering her. It's hazel eyes glowed in the night air, its dark fur barely visible at all. It's tail was a flame in the night, the fur shinning bright orange in stark contrast to the rest of it.

She didn't have time to examine her quarry anymore, as it was angling the green, sickle shaped horns towards her. She summoned her magic, throwing the beast off with a wave.

It landed with a yelp, shaking itself off as it stood. Moon readied her swords once more, encasing them in a layer of magic, supercharging them.

She charged, her swords glowing blue as she slashed downwards. The beast dodged again, darting left. Smoke trailed out of its mouth as it charged her. She twisted herself out of the way, eyes widening as she saw that the beast's mouth was ablaze, its teeth sparking.

Moon shuffled backwards, giving herself some distance to think. The beast seemed to have the same idea, smoke still seeping out from its jaw as it watched her, pacing.

It was obvious now, though Moon didn't have the slightest idea how, the beast was using magic. True magic, without any sort of conduit. If beasts started to use magic, the kingdom would be doomed. Moon could bet her crown that Toffee was behind this, he was the only monster she could think of that would have the knowledge to pull this off. And he definitely had the intent behind it. He was prepared to take her kingdom down, by any means possible. Even by taking her only…

The beast was done waiting, its eyes flashed, bringing forth a ring of fire that encircled the clearing. It shut off her escape, or so it thought. Moon was done holding back. A wave of light passed over her as she went full butterfly, feeling the additional limbs and wings settle like a second skin.

She flew up, high above the flames and the beast's confused eyes. With a wave of her sword, beams of magic shot themselves at the beast. She dove after them, not waiting for the smoke to clear. Her eyes saw heat as it radiated off of the objects around her, letting her navigate through the smokescreen with ease.

The beast was a giant blur of red and white, much hotter than anything else, even her. She went into a barrel roll, holding her swords in front of her as she spun towards the beast.

She heard the sound of sword against flesh, the rip of sinew and muscle as her swords travelled down the beast's side.

She heard it yelp in pain, and then whimper as it fell to the ground. As the smoke cleared, she got rid of her heat vision, letting her see the beast's injuries in full. The tip of its tail was sheared off, the edges singed. One of its front paws had a hole going through the center of it. The gash on its side was also bleeding profusely.

Its eyes still shone bright though, and as Moon feet touched the ground, it sent a blast of magic shooting towards her. Moon deflected it with her swords easily, sending the blast to the ground.

The beast stood, holding the injured paw close to itself as the other three legs shook with the effort. It sent another growl in her direction, but its tail was dragging on the ground, completely limp.

Moon lowered her swords, setting them on the ground. There was still a chance for her to capture the beast alive, figure out exactly what it was so they couldn't be blindsided by another beast like it.

She kept her other hands behind her back as she put her other two hands in front of her in a sign of peace. She was sure the beast knew what she meant, it had clearly shown human intelligence.

It growled softly as she inched nearer, eyes following her with every move she made.

"I just want to help. Just come back with me, and we can both figure out what's going on." Moon said softly, slowly letting a ball of light form in her hand. The beast shied away from her, its growl growing fiercer. As it took a step back though, it flinched, whimpering in obvious pain.

"It's okay, just let me help." Moon smiled as the beast stopped growling, peering at her intently. Her smile faded as she called on her magic once more. A part of her didn't want to go through with this, but she had an objective to fulfill.

Vines sprouted from the earth, snaking their way around the beast's legs and chest, holding it in place before it could even react.

The beast paused, seemingly still processing what happened, but as soon as it realized it couldn't move, it panicked. It thrashed, throwing itself around in a futile attempt to escape. Its tail was lashing furiously now, its eyes wide and panicked as it struggled to escape. It continued to whimper and yelp as its struggles put new strain on its injuries, but it wouldn't stop. It tried to burn down the vines, only for the flames to be repelled by the barrier Moon had placed around them.

As it slowed down, Moon took a moment to really take in its appearance with the help of her light. It was stunning. Whoever had considered this to a frost wolf had been dead wrong. It looked nothing like the soulless, cold, and snow white beasts from the north.

It was twice as large to start with, it was already a full head above her, while frost wolves only came up mid-chest. Its fur was a dark red, coming off in thick bunches. It had a mop of darker fur at the top of its head, a reddish brown. It didn't have ears, but it did have its two sloping horns, curving forwards towards its eyes. Its eyes were a light hazel, its pupils thin as it snarled at her. Besides for the bright green horns, its tail was also a stark contrast. The base was the same as the rest of the body, but it slowly shifted into the predominant orange that covered it.

Its tail fell again as it lowered itself to the ground, the silky strands shining in her light. It was panting heavily, resting its head on the ground.

Moon took a step towards it, only to be stopped by a deep snarl, filled with rage.

"I'm sorry." Moon said, the beast responded with a snort, as if it was mocking her words. It threw its head back in another attempt to break free, revealing its chest and the rocky gem that bulged out.

Moon's eyes widened, her hands closing into fists as she took in the sight before her. It was a star. A broken, dull star that jutted out from its skin. Only half of a whole, half of once was. Moon could recognize it anywhere by now, she had spent months studying its shape and form. Anything to find her daughter.

"Why do you have that?" Moon snapped, even making the beast pause with her tone. There were tears rising to the surface, but she could care less. This was the first and only clue she had ever found to explain why her only child had disappeared off the face of the multiverse. "That was Star's. Why do you have that? Where is she!?"

The beast raised its head once more, rearing it up to the sky and howling. It was a cry of pain, and a call for help. Moon knew the other beast was out here somewhere, but the vines didn't manage to wrap themselves around its jaw until the howl had already faded, the message sent.

Moon flew over to pick up her swords, recharging them with magic. She could try and get the beast out of the forest before its partner arrived, but the chances of success were slim.

She flew up to one of the trees, putting a concealing spell over herself. She might as well use the beast as bait. And who knows, maybe the other beast would have the other half of the wand with it. Another piece of Star. But that was only the tip of the iceberg. She couldn't even process what could have happened to Star. What did Toffee do with her? How had he infused the wand with a living being? How did he even cleave the wand to begin with?

Moon was interrupted by a rustle behind her, and had to stop herself from gasping when she looked up.

If the first beast had been stunning, its companion left her breathless. It was flying, on white feather wings, drifting down to its companion below. It had the same figure as its companion, but had light brown fur, with a green patch spreading across its back and running down its tail. It had a mane of hair sprouting from the top of its head, running down its back. It had horns like the other one, except they curved backwards and were blood red. Its tail was bright green down the center area, fanning out to shift into pink and then into red tips.

As it landed, the wings vanished in a flash of light. Moon started suddenly, realizing that she should have attacked it as it was floating down, but had been to enthralled by its appearance to make a move.

It sniffed noses with its companion, growling as it saw the vines and injuries.

Moon shot down, unveiling herself for a surprise attack. The red beast huffed in warning, letting the hazel beast turn around and meet her swords with a magic barrier. As their magic clashed, Moon looked down, seeing another half of Star's wand sitting in the beast's chest.

The brown beast dropped the barrier, leaping backwards to stand protectively over its companion. With a spark from the star in its chest, the trees rose up from around them, their roots becoming legs as they stood up, marching to surround Moon their branches reaching for her.

Moon charged up a laser and cut the trees down, the life draining from them as she separated them from their roots. Once the trees were clear her mouth went agape at the scene before her.

Where the red beast had been, a boy now kneeled. The tan beast nuzzled him, carefully weaving its way through the vines. It picked him up in her mouth and carried him out of the vines, still staring at them warily. Once the two of them were clear of the vines, the beast set the boy down, whining softly at him as it pressed its nose against him.

Moon couldn't see much of the boy, he was covered with a red jacket, ragged and torn. Hadn't Star's friend on Earth had a jacket just like that? Moon felt her arms fall limp against her sides, swords tapping against her ankles.

She didn't like where her mind was taking her, not one bit. If the red beast really was Star's friend, Maris or whatever his name had been, then that only left one logical option for his companion. The two of them were inseparable according to the Diez's. But how? Why? When? How did they get out here? What happened to them? Why, why, why? Why this?

She spent months locking herself inside the castle after the Diez's had told her the news. Star had disappeared, the boy with her, but Star was gone. Apparently, the boy had been taken, and Star had followed to try and take him back, never to return. There was nothing left behind to indicate where they had gone, Glossaryck didn't have any idea where she had gone. The only lead they had come from Ludo, a known enemy to Star, and the name Moon hoped she would never here again. Toffee.

Ludo had said Toffee had been the one to take the boy, and subsequently Star. Toffee. Would he ever abandon his quest for vengeance against her? Was there no line he wouldn't cross?

Moon was pulled out of her panicked spiral by a snarl. She jerked her head up, staring at the beast standing across from her. Its blue eyes pierced her very core, threatening to bring tears to her eyes once more.

She sheathed her swords completely, sighing in defeat. She couldn't fight now, not with the chance that this was her precious baby.

The tan beast eyed her, watching for any signs of aggression. Without taking its eyes off her, it picked up the boy and gently set him on its back, the fur wrapping itself around him to keep him steady. It then began to walk away, wings forming once more.

"Star!" Moon shouted, surprising even herself with the outburst. What if she was just deluding herself? What if Star was gone? What would she do if the beast just flew off, dashing all her hopes?

The beast stopped, turning back to face her with an expression akin to surprise written across its wolfish face. The wings curled in as it stalked towards Moon, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Star?" Moon was on her knees now, staring at the ground, tears dripping down. "It's you, isn't it?"

The beast stopped in front of her, nose scrunched as a subtle warning if she tried anything.

"Can I see you?" Moon asked, staring up with wide eyes. "Just show me so that I can know, please?"

The beast lowered its head, reaching down to brush its nose against Moon's tears, whining softly. It then took the boy off its back and set him on the ground, giving him a quick rub with its cheek. It then gave her one last look, before light enveloped it.

If Moon was crying before, she was sobbing when the light faded.

It was Star. Star stood right in front of her, worn and tattered, her green dress practically shredded, but she was there. Moon reached out a hand to caress her cheek, only to pause when Star took a step back, staring at the outstretched hand with wide eyes.

"Star, don't you remember me?" Moon whispered, eyes widening further as the silence only confirmed her question. She should have guessed from their short fight earlier. Star would normally never dare attack her like that, not even in her fiercest rage.

"Star." Moon knew she sounded desperate, but she couldn't find it in herself to care anymore. She stood up, her face falling even more when she saw Star back up more. "Star!"

Star shifted again, a growl rumbling out of her throat as she rose back up on four legs. She carefully grabbed the boy and set him on her back again. Wings appearing instantly, she took off without hesitation, almost looking like she was fleeing from Moon.

"Star! Wait!" Moon screamed for her daughter, her face twisting as she watched her form fade in the distant night sky.

Moon simply stayed within the clearing for a while, letting her magic fade as she curled inward. Star didn't remember her. Star didn't even recognize her. She had let Star slip through her fingers.

When did it all get to this? Why did it end up like this? What did she ever do to deserve this? What had Star done to deserve whatever happened to her?

Nothing. Star was a ball of accidents and naivety, but she was as cheerful as they came, with a heart of gold to match. And now that was gone. Buried under the terror Toffee had wrought.

But Star was still here. Not dead and cold as Moon had feared. Star was alive and breathing, even if she was now part beast or something like that, she was alive.

Moon would find her. Someday, somehow, she would track them down and bring Star back home.

No matter what it cost her.


End file.
